Apertura Colombia

Colombian photographers tell graphic stories at the Station Museum of Contemporary Art

The graphic images in the 14-artist show Apertura Colombia arent always easy to look at. Jesús Abad Colorados black-and-white photography of life in the war-torn country includes images of a funeral parade. Hundreds of mourners fill a narrow street, and several of the men carry more than a dozen coffins on their shoulders. Another photograph shows a young, barefoot girl walking down a dirt road, passing an armed soldier. Yet another shows a teenage girl soldier standing by a fence; on the fence is a sign that says, No Maltrate los Niños Son el Futuro (Dont Mistreat the Children They Are the Future).

José Alejandro Restrepo is displaying a video in a claustrophobic black box. Sitting inside on the simple bench, viewers watch clips of two young girls (who know they are being taped by hidden cameras) and a man who sexually abuses them (who obviously doesnt know about the camera). After the man finishes raping both girls, a police official comes out of his hiding spot to arrest him. After that disturbing  and very real  event, the tape was later leaked to the public, becoming a perverse porn movie. Scenes of the girls whispering to the cameraman to hide and the offenders entrance are interspersed with the offenders arrest and reactions of officials who are shocked at the films release.

Andres Sierra shows viewers photos of couples having sex, not simulated sex, but actual, graphic sex (several photographs clearly show penetration). There is nothing romantic about the scenes  this is hump-and-grunt stuff, which seems out of place in a museum setting. Adding to the sense of confusion, the men in the photos are each missing an arm or a leg, or have some other deformity. Their oddly shaped bodies are both mesmerizing and repulsive. 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. Wednesdays to Sundays. Through May 18. 1502 Alabama. For information, call 713-529-6900 or visit www.stationmuseum.com. Free.
Wednesdays-Sundays, 11 a.m.-6 p.m. Starts: March 8. Continues through May 18, 2008